National Review's Radio Free California Podcast Episode 418: Totally Consistent Lunatics
Nov 20, 2025
Gavin Newsom faces backlash after a federal indictment rocks his inner circle. The complexities of California's Prop 50 are explored as the DOJ steps in, while political corruption is connected to one-party dominance. Interestingly, the podcast discusses the nuances of oil extraction from the Amazon versus offshore drilling. Plus, a controversial mega-development proposal in Fresno sparks union-environmentalist tensions. Finally, alumni protest a Jesuit school’s decision to admit girls, highlighting changing institutional values.
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Episode notes
Pension Funds Should Stay In Their Lane
- Public pension funds often lack the niche expertise to evaluate complex private deals like sports-media investments.
- David Bonson-Reichow warns CalPERS should stick to core competencies and invest smaller seed amounts first.
AI Hype Will Produce Excesses
- The AI investment boom will create winners, losers, and excesses driven by human behavior.
- Bonson-Reichow thinks the AI capital-expenditure story is overhyped and prone to a future correction.
Local Control Matters For AI Buildout
- A federal AI moratorium that preempts states risks centralizing power in Washington over local zoning and environmental rules.
- Bonson-Reichow defends subsidiarity: local control should govern data centers and related impacts.